Date:	Tuesday 17 October 1950
Time:	day
Type:	de Havilland DH.100 Vampire F Mk 1
Owner/operator:	203 AFS RAF
Registration:	VF270
MSN:	EEP/42...
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Kirkburn, near RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	RAF Driffeld, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:	RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
On the 17th October, 1950, a pair of Vampires F.1s, VF270 and VF308, both of 203 AFS collided at Kirkburn, near Driffield, North Yorkshire. The aircraft was one of a formation of five, aligned in echelon port formation, prior to a circuit before landing back at RAF Driffield. At 1400 feet Vampire VF270 collided with the starboard tail boom of Vampire VF308, went out of control and spun into the ground. Both pilots were killed in each aircraft.

Crew of Vampire VF270:
Pilot Officer (3123698) Ian Main CRAWFORD (pilot) RAF - killed on active service 17/10/1950

The Coroner's Inquest was reported in the Hull Daily Mail of October 25th 1950:

"COLLIDED AS THEY BROKE FORMATION
One of the pilots in a formation of five Vampire jet aircraft described to the East Riding Coroner, Mr. H. W. Rennison, last night how two of the formation collided in mid-air over Kirkburn village, near Driffield, and crashed, one in Kirkburn churchyard and the other in a field, killing both pilots.

P/O Harold Roy Radford, who was No. 5 in the formation, told the Coroner that all the pilots had formation flying experience, but they had not previously flown together as a formation of five. After flying in formation for some time, they approached Driffield airfield in echelon starboard formation, which was a normal approach preparatory to breaking and landing.

"I heard the leader give the order, 'Prepare to break, break,' and saw him peel off with the next two following suit, but the first two came into collision," said witness.

Flt. Lt. Peter Smith, who saw the accident from the air traffic control office at Driffield RAF Station, told the Coroner..."I heard the leader give the order to break formation. The leader made a climbing turn to port followed by the rest of the formation. No. 2 appeared to break fairly quickly after the leader overtook him and struck him from below and on the starboard side. The aircraft separated and dived towards the ground."

The Coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure."

The reported crash location of Kirkburn is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated about 3 miles (5 km) south-west of Driffield town centre and is on the A614 road, at approximate co ordinates 53.983095°N 0.504899°W

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.107 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft SA100-VZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1983)
3. Last Take Off; A Catalogue of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 by Colin Cummings p.91
4. https://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/329990-gaining-r-f-pilots-brevet-ww11-168.html
5. www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VF
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/_DH100%20prodn%20list.txt
7. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?20857-Vampire-collision-17th-October-1950-Kirkburn-near-RAF-Driffield
8. RAF Driffield Operations Record Book: 1 Jun 1947 to 31 December 1950: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 28
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkburn

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Mar-2013 18:40	Dr. John Smith	Added
26-May-2015 12:36	Angel dick one	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
10-Jan-2020 20:28	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Nature, Operator]
02-Jan-2021 21:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
02-Jan-2021 21:57	Angel Dick one	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator]
03-Jan-2021 22:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
03-Jan-2021 22:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Source]
04-Jan-2021 20:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]